Hearingcansootheandcomfort.
Thesnappingoflogsinthefireplace,thegossipywhisperofabroom,theinquisitivewheezeofadraweropening—allaresavoredsoundsthatmakeusfeelathome.
Inawell-lovedhome,everychairproducedadifferent,recognizablecreak,everywindowadifferentclick,groanorsqueak.
Thekitchenbyitselfisasourceofmanypleasingsounds.
Everyplace,everyeventhasasounddimension.
Thesenseofhearingcanperhapsberestoredtomodernmanifhebetterunderstandsitsworthandhowitworks.
Mostpeoplewouldbesurprisedtodiscoverhowfarthesensecanbepushedbycultivation.
Atafriend'shouserecently,mywifeopenedherpurseandsomecoinsspilledout,oneafteranother,ontothefloor.
“Threequarters,twodimes,anickelandthreepennies,”saidourhostashecameinfromthenextroom.
Andasanafterthought:“Oneofthequartersissilver.”
Hewasright,downtothelastpenny.
Wedid,andwithalittlepracticewefounditeasy.
Curiously,evidenceindicatesthatpeopleneedsound.
Whenwearelostinthought,weinvoluntarilydrumwithourfingersortapwithapencil—areminderthatwearestillsurroundedbyaworldoutsideourselves.
Justcuttingdownreflectedsoundcanproducesomeoddresults.
Thenearestthingonearthtothesilenceofouterspace,forexample,isthe“anechoicchamber”attheBellTelephoneLaboratoriesinBurrayHills,N.J.,whichislinedwithmaterialthatabsorbs99.98%ofallreflectedsound.
Menwhohaveremainedintheroomformorethananhourreportthattheyfeelnervousandoutoftouchwithreality.